The 2025 elections of the Political Science Students Association (POSSA) at the University of Ghana recorded low voter turnout, with only 685 students casting their ballots out of 3,913 eligible voters.
Despite the limited participation, Foster Ashiatey and Theophilus Afedzie were elected president and vice president, respectively, receiving 95.8 percent of the votes cast.
The turnout has raised concern among students and observers, with many attributing the low numbers to a lack of trust in student leadership.
”Most students have lost interest in student leadership because they feel it doesn’t serve their needs,” one student said. “People have lost hope that anyone can actually bring change.”
Another student added, “Everyone is just focused on their own business. Many feel that student leaders don’t follow through on their promises or work in the interest of the student body.”
The university’s migration from Gmail to Microsoft Outlook created barriers for students attempting to vote, as access to student email accounts was required for authentication.
”The migration to Outlook has been rough. Many students have not been able to activate their accounts properly, which meant they couldn’t vote,” one voter said.
The change is believed to have disenfranchised a portion of the student body, further dampening turnout.
Some students also expressed dissatisfaction with the presidential and vice-presidential pairing, saying the process lacked transparency and did not reflect the broader interests of the student body.
”I think the pairing caused a lot of disagreements and led many students not to vote. That dissatisfaction translated into low participation in the voting process,” a student said.
Although Ashiatey and Afedzie received a clear mandate from those who voted, the election exposed larger issues related to student engagement, trust in leadership, and the need for smoother technical processes.
Students are now looking to the new POSSA leadership to rebuild trust, improve communication, and strengthen the voting process in future elections.
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Story by Deborah Jackson|univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Michelle Lartey
